Reply to Alumni Interviews - Lack of Consistency and Quality

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have done alumni interviewing for HYP. The interviews DO matter, on the margins. We were given detailed written guidance and had to attend an in-person training, and were asked to write detailed reports after each interview. A horrible or amazing interview can hurt or help. ("This kid comes across as a conceited, self-righteous prig" = this kid probably won't be accepted, regardless of application's other strengths. "This kid absolutely shines - utterly delightful... the most thought-provoking conversation I have ever had with a teen..." = a strong tip towards acceptance.)

The interviewer's job is to look for and comment on the things that do not come through in the paper file, not to be an expert on current student life.[/quote]

How many interviews have you done? What % of the prigs were accepted? What % of the shiny kids? 
[/quote]

My friend's kid had an interview with an arrogant athletic prig.   Interviewer had no appreciation for a STEM nerd and talked about sports..  It was a bad interview but the kid still got in.[/quote]

That's the point: the interviews matter ON THE MARGINS.

No one with a very weak overall application gets in just because the interviewer says "seems like a nice kid." No one with a stellar overall application gets rejected just because the alumni interviewer says "ho hum."

But sometimes, when the admissions committee is on the fence about whether to admit a kid or not, the interview report can elucidate something about the applicant that is not otherwise obvious. In those cases, on the margins, the interview report can tip the balance.

Takeaway: do not count on a good interview or bad interview to help or hurt an applicant in most cases, but under-prepare for the interview at your peril. Nine times out of ten - maybe even nineteen out of twenty - the interview won't make much difference. But every so often, it will matter.

(And if you don't get into Harvard? Don't blame the interview. 95% of DC area applicants will not get into Harvard. That's the cold, hard, fact.)

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